Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Jan 9, 2012, Monday:- The Supreme Court of India today dismissed an appeal filed by ISKCON
Mumbai, seeking to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Sri
Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of ISKCON Bangalore. The Supreme Court
Bench consisting of Honorable Justice HL Dattu and Honorable Justice
Chandramouli KR Prasad today gave this judgment on the appeal filed by
ISKCON Mumbai challenging the verdict of the High Court which had opined
that no contempt was committed by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa. While
pronouncing the verdict one of the Honorable Judges said that Supreme
Court is not a forum meant of settling scores and ISKCON Mumbai’s
petition attempts to settle some scores with Madhu Pandit Dasa.
ISKCON Mumbai (registered 1971) had tried in various ways to force
the devotees of ISKCON Bangalore (Registered 1978) to follow a deviant
system of guru succession, in direct contravention to the desires of
Srila Prabhupada the founder and acharya of ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada did
not appoint any successor to occupy the position of the acharya of
ISKCON, on the contrary he ordered that a system of initiations thro’
rtviks or officiating priests who initiate every one as disciples of
Srila Prabhupada be instituted. Being harassed by various motivated
interferences of ISKCON Mumbai which supports the deviant ninety odd
unauthorized gurus who claim to be successors to Prabhupada, ISKCON
Bangalore filed a suit requesting the court to give a permanent
injunction restraining ISKCON Mumbai from interfering in its affairs.
The honorable High court and honorable Supreme Court had given interim
orders in the favour of ISKCON Bangalore. Finally after examining close
to 700 documents and hearing the arguments of both counsels the
Honorable Civil court gave its verdict on April 17th 2009. In
its verdict court granted an injunction permanently refraining ISKCON
Mumbai from interfering with the affairs of ISKCON Bangalore.

ISKCON Mumbai went on appeal on this order to the High court of
Karnataka. The appeal in the High Court was being initially heard by Hon
Justice K L Manjunath. But Honorable Justice received a mystery packet
via mail, which resulted in him recusing from the case. Before recusing
the Hon judge initiated suomoto contempt charges against Madhu Pandit
Dasa and five others. This contempt of court case came up for hearing in
front of the divisional bench of Hon Justices Sreedhar Rao and Subhash
Adi. The divisional bench gave a split verdict. Justice Sreedhar Rao
opined that Madhu Pandit Dasa and all others were not guilty of contempt
whereas Justice Subhash Adi agreed that Madhu Pandit Dasa and a lawyer
was not guilty of contempt, but he held that other four are guilty of
the contempt. Due to a split verdict the case was posted to a single
member bench. It was heard by Hon Justice Smt Manjula Chellur, who also
held that Madhu Pandit Dasa was not guilty of contempt. She further said
that two lawyers are also not guilty of contempt, but she held that
other three are guilty of contempt.

ISKCON Mumbai contended that Madhu Pandit Dasa is indeed guilty of
contempt. It may also be recalled that on the same contempt of court
case ISKCON Mumbai had applied to high court trying to implicate Sri
Chanchalapathi Dasa, Stoka Krishna Dasa and other governing council
members of ISKCON Bangalore, which was dismissed. The Honorable Supreme
Court had dismissed those applications too. (Click here to read)

Now in an attempt to harass Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of
ISKCON Bangalore ISKCON Mumbai had challenged the verdicts of three high
court judges and filed a petition and contended that Madhu Pandit Dasa
was guilty. It was dismissed by the Apex court today terming the
petition as intended to settle scores.

Apex Court dismisses Mumbhai ISKCON claim

By Madhu Pandit Dasa

Jan 10 2012, Bangalore, India — The Supreme Court of India today dismissed appeal filed by ISKCON
Mumbai, seeking to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Sri
Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of ISKCON Bangalore (CRLMP 9011/2011 and
CRLMP 25743/2011).
The Supreme Court bench consisting of Honorable Justice HL Dattu and
Honorable Justice Chandramouli Kumar Prasad dismissed the appeals filed
by ISKCON Mumbai challenging the three different verdicts of Justice
Sridhar Rao, Justice Subhash Adi and Justice Manjula Chellur of the High
Court all of which held that no contempt of court was committed by Sri
Madhu Pandit Dasa.
While pronouncing the verdict one of the Honorable Judges said that
Supreme Court is not a forum meant of settling scores and ISKCON
Mumbai’s petition attempts to settle some scores with Madhu Pandit Dasa
and thus should not be entertained.
ISKCON Bangalore Society filed a suit requesting the court to give a
permanent injunction restraining ISKCON Mumbai, which supports the
deviant ninety odd unauthorized self proclaimed gurus who claim to be
successors to Swami Prabhupada, from interfering in its affairs. The
Civil court gave its verdict on April 17th 2009. In its verdict court
granted an injunction permanently refraining ISKCON Mumbai from
interfering with the affairs of ISKCON Bangalore.
ISKCON Mumbai went on appeal on this order to the High court of
Karnataka. The appeal in the High Court was being initially heard by Hon
Justice K L Manjunath, but he received a mystery packet via mail, which
resulted in him recusing from the case. While recusing the Honorable
Judge had initiated suomoto contempt of court charges against three
lawyers, Madhu Pandit Dasa and others.
It may be noted that earlier, ISKCON Mumbai had separately filed
contempt of court case against few other office bearers of ISKCON
Bangalore Society before the Honorable Supreme Court. The Honorable
court had also dismissed those appeals.